Local News
‘He’s our brother’
. Clearing, Garfield Ridge mourn Officer Vásquez Lasso By Tim Hadac Chicago Police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso didn’t live in Clearing or Garfield Ridge—he lived east of the airport, in West Lawn—but he and his family were essentially adopted by as many as 700 men, women and children here earlier this month. “Even though…
$15 million expansion for Stagg approved
From staff reports The Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education last week approved a $15 million expansion at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills. The expansion will include much-needed classroom space, several science labs, offices and teacher workspace, as well as a rooftop environmental learning space. The project is expected to…
Lake Katherine goes green again for St. Patrick’s Day
By Kelly White One of Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanical Gardens’ most popular features is its large waterfall, which tumbles over four separate falls, travels a distance of over 300 feet and descends approximately 30 feet before joining the lake itself on the east side. With Irish festivities in full swing this St. Patrick’s…
Orland Township offers scholarships to high school seniors
Local students graduating high school in 2023 and heading to college are encouraged to apply for an Orland Township Scholarship Foundation award. This program, launched in 1998, has since awarded over 340 scholarships to township students totaling more than $280,000. The Orland Township Scholarship Foundation award scholarships based on a combination of the applicant’s leadership…
Shepard breaks record for Special Olympics fund raising
Mostly through the traditional Polar Plunge, this year Shepard High School broke its record for fund raising for Special Olympics. More students and staff — including nearly all administrators, band director Chris Pitlik, and choir director Roland Hatcher — participated than ever. This year also featured a new fundraising vehicle: A pie-in-the-face contest. Many Shepard…
He died protecting others
. . By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] Like most in Clearing and Garfield Ridge, I was stunned and saddened by news of the death of Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso. Perhaps it’s because I have relatives who are CPD. Perhaps it’s because as a wife, I empathize…
Hale students fight hunger with food drive
By Dermot Connolly Students at Hale Elementary School in Clearing collected thousands of items in a food drive that became a community event when the United Business Association of Midway coordinated the delivery of the goods to local food pantries. Seventh and eighth graders in the student leadership team organized the food drive for the…
Wade implores Palos Park residents to stop the infighting
By Jeff Vorva Palos Park Commissioner Mike Wade has not been on the council for a year yet and hasn’t said much over that time except to talk about the business at hand with building and public property matters. But Wade came up with a strong speech on Monday night regarding some of the controversy…
Oak Lawn trustees back police, complain about threats from protesters
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn officials spoke out in unison on Tuesday night, proclaiming their support for the village’s police department. Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) served as mayor pro tempore because Mayor Terry Vorderer was unable to attend the village board meeting. Olejniczak began the meeting by requesting a moment of silence in memory of…
Straz emphasizes ‘quality of life’ in Palos Heights during annual presentation
By Jeff Vorva Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz used the phrase “quality of life” quite a bit Tuesday afternoon. The longtime mayor gave his annual State of the City Address sponsored by the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce at the Palos Heights Parks and Recreation Department and his theme was about the quality of life…
Palos Park native helps write screenplay for ‘Knock at the Cabin’
By Dermot Connolly Palos Park native Steve Desmond, 40, has been thinking about making movies for most of his life, and now one he co-wrote can be found in a theater near you. Desmond and his screenwriting partner, Michael Sherman, share writing credits with director M. Night Shyamalan for the screenplay for “Knock at the…
Village honors 100-year-old who has lived in Orland Park for 50 years
By Jeff Vorva The Village of Orland Park honored resident Lea Luchini, who is enjoying a couple of milestone celebrations. She turned 100 on Feb. 15 and this is the 50th year she has lived in Orland Park. Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau read a proclamation recognizing Luchini at the Feb. 20 village board meeting.…
Price tag for Stagg expansion grows to $15 million
By Jeff Vorva The Stagg High School expansion project has a heftier price tag than originally thought. Consolidated High School District 230 officials were bracing for the project to cost roughly $12.5 million. At the Feb. 23 board meeting at Andrew High School, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services John Lavelle told the board that now…
Shepard students have taken the plunge.
By Kelly White The high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, honored Special Olympics Illinois with a unique school-based Polar Plunge on Thursday, March 2. “This year was our biggest group plunging yet,” Ashley Lythberg, Special Education Teacher (POWER PE teacher) and Special Olympics Coordinator at Shepard, said. “Every year is special, but since…
Justice junior officials run board meeting
By Carol McGowan Village officials in Justice took a step back at their last board meeting and handed the reins over to students from Indian Springs School District 109. The February 27 village board meeting observed the yearly tradition of Honorary Junior Official Day, as students had the honor of sitting in the seats of…
Wearing o’ the green: Countryside St. Paddy Parade colored a success
By Steve Metsch St. Patrick’s Day arrived 13 days early in Countryside, but nobody was complaining. The city’s seventh St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held on March 4 beneath cloudy and cool skies. Many attending wore green. That included Zeva, a Boston terrier owned by Melanie Blando, 33, of Burr Ridge. Zeva was in parade…
McCook hopes study stops loss of 5 million gallons of water monthly
By Steve Metsch The village of McCook hopes a study will determine where it is losing 5 million gallons of water monthly. The leak was determined when the village, which buys water from Chicago, didn’t sell as many gallons as were coming in, Mayor Terrance Carr said. “We sell roughly 170 million gallons of water…
Nazareth girls ‘seal the deal,’ share state title glow at rally
By Steve Metsch The girls’ basketball team at Nazareth Academy did indeed live up to its slogan. Head Coach Eddie Stritzel said that after finishing second to Carmel in Class 3A one year ago, the team’s slogan for the 2022-23 season was “seal the deal.” “That’s great,” he said. “But with it comes a lot…
Germazing Ducks lend a hand at St. Germaine
Latest project is a new Innovation Lab By Kelly White St. Germaine School has a new Innovation Lab thanks to the Germazing Ducks, a small, volunteer-based fundraising committee shaped and formed by parents, teachers, and staff members. The Innovation Lab at the school, 9735 S. Kolin Ave., Oak Lawn, is a remarkable feat built around…
Worth police officers take a plunge for Special Olympics
By Joe Boyle The Worth Police Department is paid to serve and protect its citizens. But on Saturday afternoon, they were called on for special duty — taking a plunge for a good cause. The Worth Fraternal Order of Police held its seventh annual Polar Plunge at Altman Park. The police department, along with the…
Illinois News
CAPITOL RECAP: Lawmakers begin review of state monuments
By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – A House committee tasked with reviewing statues and monuments on state property held its first meeting Wednesday, April 21, hearing from historians and state government associations on what steps are being in other states and what frameworks can be established to guide the review process. Rep. Tim Butler, a…
Bill allowing name changes for convicted individuals passes House
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A bill allowing a person who must register with a state agency due to a criminal conviction to change their name under specific circumstances passed the Illinois House on Thursday with bipartisan support. House Bill 2542, introduced by state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, amends several state statutes…
House passes leadership term limits, source of income protections for renters
By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House advanced several bills Thursday, including one which would implement term limits on leadership positions in the General Assembly and another that would create additional protections for tenants’ sources of income. House Bill 642, introduced by Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, would bar any individual…
Lawmakers question Exelon audit
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Members of a state Senate committee sharply criticized a recent audit of Exelon’s nuclear power plant operations that suggested ratepayers may need to subsidize two of those plants by as much as $350 million over the next five years. Gov. JB Pritzker’s office and the Illinois Environmental…
Illinois House OKs bill to license professional midwives
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — The certified professional midwife profession in Illinois moved one step closer to becoming an officially licensed occupation on Thursday with the passage of House Bill 3401. HB 3401 creates the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act, which would license individuals who perform out-of-hospital births and have…
Springfield Republican calls out Democrats for placing bill ‘on review’
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — Republican Rep. Tim Butler on Thursday accused the new Democratic leadership in the state House of Representatives of preserving practices from previous leadership which Republicans say unfairly benefits the majority party. “So, what the speaker said back in January about this place being different and running…
House passes bill reducing barriers to telehealth
By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a bill Friday which would make COVID-19-related expansions to telehealth services permanent through state statute. House Bill 3498, introduced by Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, aims to reduce barriers in access to virtual and telehealth services and would bring standards for virtual care…
Lawmakers, Pritzker administration spar over projected fiscal year revenues
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Members of an Illinois Senate committee sparred with officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration Friday in a hearing on tax changes proposed by the governor in an effort to balance the state’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The Senate Revenue and Appropriations committees held the joint…
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